The world of Japanese animation is home to hundreds of likeable and sincere characters that can really strike a chord with the viewer. Some anime protagonists are deeply tragic and have suffered greatly, and these emotionally wounded characters will likely break down in tears or at least confess their pain.
Other characters, however, make sure to hide their sadness at all costs and no one will catch them crying. These characters may hide their sadness or pain behind a stone-cold poker face, or they may simply isolate themselves from others. They can even act like a hotheaded tsundere to push people away.
10 Edward Elric rarely talks about losing his mother (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood)
Edward and Alphonse Elric suffered a terrible loss when their beloved mother Trisha died of illness. Desperate, Ed and Al attempted human transmutation to bring her back. They failed and lost their body parts as punishment for messing with the Truth.
Edward still misses his mother and losing her tore a huge hole in his heart. However, Ed is a short-tempered tsundere who tends to get lost in his work, which is her way of processing his pain and coping with his life. He is not likely to talk openly with anyone about what he feels inside.
9 Ichigo Kurosaki masks his pain (bleach)
Various Bleach The characters are dealing with a great deal of sadness and grief, from the widowed captain Byakuya Kuchiki to Orihime Inoue, who lost her brother and feels inadequate. Unlike Orihime, who can show her sadness at times, Ichigo hides everything.
Ichigo’s heart still aches from the loss of his mother and sometimes he feels terrible that he failed as a hero. However, Ichigo’s tough-guy personality demands that he hide all of his pain and insecurity from him, and that is what he does. Hiding all that pain and sadness isn’t necessarily the best plan, but it’s clearly Ichigo’s preference.
8 Shinobu Kocho hides behind her cheerful facade (Demon Slayer)
many characters in Murderer of demons suffered tragic losses at the hands of Muzan’s demonic hordes, including the insect Hashira, Shinobu Kocho. She was introduced as a goofy and playful demon slayer, but Tanjiro’s sharp nose soon picked up on Shinobu’s hidden anger.
Shinobu’s heart aches with both fury and sadness after the loss of her older sister Kanae Kocho, though she does her best to hide those feelings behind her falsely cheerful exterior. Anyone who has met her would have no idea what kind of torment she is experiencing.
7 Yuki Sohma always takes it easy (Fruit Basket)
Fruit basquet is a classic shojo anime series, and it’s another story where almost everyone is dealing with serious sadness and other emotional issues. For example, Tohru Honda acts cheerful and generous despite her intense pain, even though she is perfectly willing to talk about it.
Meanwhile, Tohru’s new kuudere friend, Yuki Sohma, is in agony. He is terribly sad about his difficult lot in his life as an idol wannabe of the Sohmas, but he is determined to hide everything behind his cold and aloof personality and not let anyone know what he is thinking. . All of his classmates (except Tohru) fell for the trap.
6 Akira Tachibana is distracted by work (After the rain)
The semi-dark seinen anime series After the rain it centers on a heroine named Akira Tachibana. She loves to run more than anything, but a recent leg injury to hers took her off the running track. She feels really bad about it and misses her favorite hobby, but this kuudere girl isn’t too keen on admitting it.
Instead, Akira maintains an aloof facade to mask his sadness, and even his co-workers at the Garden Restaurant don’t appreciate how much he hurts inside. Akira just gets lost in his work and secretly falls in love with his boss, the unlucky Mr. Kondo.
5 Itachi Uchiha lets everyone think he’s a monster (Naruto)
Ninja genius Itachi Uchiha was more loyal to the Hidden Leaf Village than to his own family, meaning he eventually had to kill his entire family to prevent an Uchiha uprising. This weighed heavily on Itachi, but he couldn’t bring himself to show his sadness.
Itachi was once seen shedding tears, but it’s the only time viewers see him upset. He allowed everyone to see him as a villain, especially his brother Sasuke, and he maintained this villainous façade throughout his time with Akatsuki. Deep down, though, he was proud of Sasuke and terribly sad at the fate of his family.
4 Gray Fullbuster won’t talk about missing Ur (Fairy Tail)
Fairy Tail’s guild members are emotionally expressive and outgoing people, and characters like Natsu, Lucy, Erza, and the others are quick to show their sadness or express joy. However, the ice mage Gray Fullbuster has a colder exterior than any of his magic.
Gray greatly misses his mentor Ur, the woman who had taught him and Lyon Vastia the ways of ice-making magic. However, Gray doesn’t like to talk about this and he keeps his pain to himself whenever he can. He is not the type to show sadness, but he was enraged when he thought that Invel Yura had killed Juvia in battle.
3 Thorfinn Karlsefni channels his pain into rage (Vinland Saga)
The young Viking Thorfinn Karsefni saw his father die when he was only six years old, which marked him for life. Until then, Thorfinn had been a bright-eyed, optimistic boy. After his father’s death, Thorfinn put on a mask of rage and bitterness that persisted for years.
Thorfinn was raised by his father’s killer, Askeladd, and carefully hid his sadness the entire time. Thorfinn only showed other people the angry side of him, which made it almost impossible for him to make friends, not that he wanted friends.
two Mayor Gori Suido keeps his sadness under lock and key (Tokyo 24th Ward)
Mayor Gori Suido has a lot on his plate as he runs Tokyo’s troubled 24th ward, and he doesn’t have time to show his true feelings or talk about things. Based on his actions and words, he urgently needs to talk about his personal problems, but he just won’t.
Mayor Suido lost his wife Kanae in 2013 and years later he lost his daughter Asumi. These tragic losses led him to become even more immersed in his work and try too hard to keep the room safe. The oppressive cyberpunk surveillance systems in the 24th Ward are no substitute for a grief counselor.
1 Misaki Ayuzawa will not share her burden with anyone (Maid-sama!)
Misaki Ayuzawa finally showed her sadness to her friend Takumi Usui, but for the most part, she is the type to carry her burdens quietly and show no one her true sadness or pain. Misaki was devastated when her father abandoned the family, and she also feels terrible because her family lives in poverty.
Misaki’s heart is filled with sadness, but she doesn’t show it. Instead, she gets lost in student council work and homework, and she uses the tsundere persona as a means of keeping people at a distance. She needs someone with whom she can share this sadness.
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